Messenger
by floppybelly
Summary: Poor Jack is coerced into acting as a messenger between the separated lovers, Will and Elizabeth, but what will he get out of it? May develop into JackWill slash later. Nobody likes Elizabeth, and you know it.
1. Chapter 1

Will leaned on the railing near the bow of his ship. He let out a great sigh, and could hear footsteps behind him, approaching. A friendly hand was placed on his shoulder.

"What's wrong, Captain?" A grizzly voice inquired.

"I miss her, Dad," Will replied, choking back tears. He turned around to speak to his father. "I miss her so much; it feels like… it feels like my heart will explode."

Old Bootstrap has never been much of a father figure, but he tries his best to console his ailing son. "Well there's good news. As long as your heart's not in there," he indicated Will's scarred chest, "it won't just explode of its own free will."

Will rolled his eyes. "Thanks, Dad, you're such a help."

"Don't you worry, Son," Bootstrap patted his son's back. "Love always finds a way, though sometimes it's not what you'd expect." And he walked away, hobbling his way back down to the brig.

Will, however, could feel a small nagging in his mind, a feeling that was becoming familiar to him. It meant he had a job to do. He walked briskly to the helm and sent the ship under, then back up where the nagging called to him.

There, floating on a piece of driftwood, was a body, and on top of it, a lost soul. Will threw a line down, and the soul caught it, climbing aboard the seaweed-covered Dutchman.

"There, you're safe now," Will told the poor overboard man, "You can stay with us until we get to the locker."

"God bless ye," the lost one mumbled.

_God's got nothing to do with it anymore,_ Will thought.

* * *

Back in Port Royal, Elizabeth stared out at the horizon from the beach where she had last seen Will. She knew it was much too early, but even still, her eyes longed for a flash of green. But the sun set with its normal colors, casting a reddish haze on the miserable woman and her companion.

"Jack," She said, standing up, "I just don't know what to do."

"About what, luv?" The captain swaggered to his feet beside her.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "Haven't you been listening this whole visit? I. Miss. Will. And unless I can talk to him soon, I don't know what I'll do."

Jack rolled his own eyes in turn. The newly appointed Mrs. Turner had been going on about nothing else since he'd made port in her hometown. No wonder he'd tuned her out.

"Well tell you what, mate; I'll be goin' out to sea again soon. And I'll probably be seein' him again, what with the clumsiness of my crew and their cannons." He and Elizabeth shared a laugh, remembering the first time one of Jack's raids had accidentally killed a Brit, and Will had had to come get him. He'd not been too happy about it. "So if there's anything you want me to tell him, now's your chance." Jack didn't particularly like the concept of being a messenger boy, but figured he at least owed this much to the couple that had saved his life on so many counts. Not that he was keeping track or anything.

"Oh Jack, you'd do that for me?" Elizabeth threw her arms around the moody pirate. She gave him a kiss on the cheek, explaining, "Tell him that's from me. And also tell him…" She hesitated, glancing down at her stomach. "Well no, we'll save that one for later. Just tell him I miss him."

"Will do, luv." And Jack was about to turn and head back to the Pearl, but was again captured by Elizabeth's arms.

"Thank you so much, Jack." She was almost in tears again, simply thinking of her husband, out at sea.

"Well," Jack struggled, "I can't as well go tell him anything," he said, trying to pry himself away, "If you've got me stranglin' here ashore!"

Elizabeth laughed and let go, and the captain turned and hurried back to his ship, before she could change her mind. She waved him off, and he gave her a short wave in return. His crew was already there, having been ordered to return three hours ago. They were none too happy about having to wait for the captain, who was often both late and inebriated, but there really was not a whole lot they could do about it.

"Yer late," Barbossa grumbled. "Again."

"Yeah yeah," Jack waved him away. "Let's hit the waves, shall we lads?"

And as the Black Pearl pulled away from Port Royal, Elizabeth could feel her heart leaving with it, sailing on its way to Will.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Jack and his crew had just finished picking through the remains of the British ship they'd just ransacked. Jack, by nature, tended not to go about killing people, but sometimes deaths were inevitable. Most of the British crew were tied to the masts or imprisoned in their own hull, but Jack's crew did find a couple dead ones under the brig.

"We'll be seein' Will soon then, won't we?" Pointed out Barbossa.

Jack said nothing back to his first mate, absorbed in thought. Sure enough, after about ten minutes, a large ship covered with seaweed emerged from underwater, about ten feet away from the busted British ship. The crewmen who were still alive trembled at the sight of the fearsome ship, even more legendary than the Black Pearl.

"The Flying Dutchman," one of them whispered. "The grim reaper for people who've died at sea."

"We're not dead, are we?" Another one asked, trembling.

"No," Will replied, from the bow of his ship, "But your friends there are." He pointed to the hull as two souls walked out of it, through the wall. Will threw them ropes, and they climbed aboard his ship.

"Now as for you, Captain Sparrow." Jack whirled his head around at the sound of his voice. "I thought I told you to stop giving me more work." Will had phased onto Jack's ship, and was now standing beside him.

"Ah, well, y'know. Part of the job," Jack waved it off as though it were no matter. "But in any case, I did get to speak with your bonnie lass."

"Stop changing the sub- wait, you spoke with Elizabeth?" Will followed Jack closely as he bustled about the ship, preparing to go to open water again. The Dutchman silently followed its captain as he was ferried by the Pearl.

"Indeed I did, and a right sorrowful sight she was, too." Jack looked around, and ensured that no-one was watching. "She told me to give you this."

And Jack dutifully planted a kiss on Will's cheek.

"Did she, now?" Will, blushing slightly, stared at the wily dreadlocked captain. "Did she say anything else?"

"Only that she misses you."

Will shook his head, sighing, "Jack, I don't know what to do. I'm so lonesome without her. My dad tries to console me, but it doesn't help. You're my only hope, my one connection to land, and everything on it. Will you tell her something for me?"

Jack rolled his eyes, he knew Will was about to break down and he didn't particularly feel like being caring at the moment. But he figured he'd suck it up, and it would be worth it later on. True to his predictions, Will was at a loss for words, just thinking of Elizabeth. He had broken into gasps that he wouldn't let resemble weeping, and Jack held him in his arms.

"There there… er… don't worry, it's only ten years. And look on the bright side, you're immortal!" Will did not seem consoled.

"She's not," he sobbed into Jack's shoulder, "and anyways, Jack, I'm not like you. I don't care about living forever if the people I love won't. I don't want to be the last one, alone forever."

Jack, taking slight offense, frowned. "I care about people too, now! Don't be makin' me out to be some heartless wench or sommat."

"Jack," Will smiled, "You _are_ a heartless wench. When was the last time you ever cared about anyone but yourself?"

Jack pulled up his fingers to start counting. "There was the time I… wait, no…" He tried another finger. "Oh, that one time, I went… no…" Finally, he pointed at Will, eyes narrowed. "I'll get back to you on that."

Will only laughed softly, and swept Jack into a bittersweet hug. "It's okay, Jack, you're here for me now. That's something." He held the poor pirate out at arm's length. "And if you ever get to see Elizabeth again, maybe you could bring her out to come visit?"

Jack thought it over. "Well, as the pirate king, she is obligated to at least participate in acts of piracy every once in a while. I'll see what I can do."

"Thanks, Jack." Will swept him into a tight hug.

Jack, who was starting to feel like an orange being juiced, rolled his eyes again just as Barbossa was coming to ask him something.

"Oh, be I interrupting something?" He asked with a slight smirk.

"No, no, Will was just leaving." Jack said with a glare as Will released him.

"Thanks again, Jack." Will waved before phasing back onto his own ship, which promptly submerged itself again.

"A fine young lad, eh Jack?" Barbossa elbowed Jack in the ribs.

Jack only smiled softly. "Aye, a fine young whelp indeed."


End file.
